ComradeT wrote:The call was horrible... Revenge or not, NHL should scrutinize refs better. Watching Blues play BJs tonight... Oshie is called for a no-hook but then there's a hook on Perron that is uncalled. Come on.

The problem is that in the last 10 years, between expansion and the move to a 2-ref system, there are a LOT of NHL refs that have only spent 2 years or so in the AHL, and don't have NEAR enough experience. Also figure in that a lot of refs have retired recently (Stewart, Koharski, Gregson) or are about to do so (Fraser), and it ain't gonna get any better.........

Makes sense. They have 4 of them on the rink though... I understand that there's a lot going on but you'd think that if they split up zones of coverage, it'd be pretty easy to get most of the calls right. It's not that there are occasional bad calls... The bad calls prevail.

They don't split up the zones though, only the two ACTUAL referees can call penalties and IIRC, if one calls a penalty, the other can't wave it off. All the linesmen can do is signal offsides/icing/etc and help break up fights. The penalties gotta come from the refs. So, unfortunately, one @$$hat can, in fact, ruin a game.

I'm on Burrows side on this, but I'm sure he's paraphrasing and exaggerating what Auger said to him prior to the game.

I don't think Auger is that stupid to explicitly say "you made me look bad in the first game...so I'm going to get you back in this game."

I assume Auger said something similiar to "I just want you to know I'm going to pay attention to you in this game so I don't miss any calls like I did in the last game" and Burrows just paraphrased it into his own words.

Official 2011-'12 sponsor of the hot chick from the FSMW Blues commercials.

Maybe I'm just using availability, but wasn't in Auger that called a game that made Tkachuk call it a "joke" multiple times during an interview a few years back? I remember one particular Ref and if I saw his name I could pick it out, may have been Auger. Anyone know what I'm talking aboot?

Official President of the 2011-2012 Sponsorship Committee of the honorable Alex Pietrangelo

BoxCar wrote:Maybe I'm just using availability, but wasn't in Auger that called a game that made Tkachuk call it a "joke" multiple times during an interview a few years back? I remember one particular Ref and if I saw his name I could pick it out, may have been Auger. Anyone know what I'm talking aboot?

Stephane Auger won't be fined or suspended by the National Hockey League for allegedly threatening Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows.

The evidence isn't there.

At worst, Terry Gregson, the NHL's director of officiating, will remind Auger that approaching a player before the game - as Auger clearly did on Monday night prior to the Canucks' match-up with the Nashville Predators - is never a good idea.

Canucks fans may be outraged by this information, combined with the fact the only form of discipline to emerge from this potentially scandalous game is a $2500 fine that Burrows received for publicly questioning the integrity of an NHL official.

Burrows was fined the maximum amount allowed under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.

Understandably, the NHL has great respect for its on-ice officials and considers Auger one of its best, so without concrete proof that any threat was made, the league has no reason to pursue the matter any further.

Auger's reputation still took a smack either way. If nothing else this was a jolt for him to watch himself.

If it never comes out nothing will ever change. That's worth $2,500 alone.

I understand there's no proof that Auger threatened Burrows, but there is proof that there was no interference on the video replay when Burrows got called for - well - interference. He didn't even touch the goaltender or much less, anyone.

I understand officials can't be punished for every penalty that seems questionable. Otherwise, you'd have players complaining to the NHL after every game saying they didn't deserve a particular penalty. If a player gets called for tripping he could complain that the other player just fell over when his stick happened to be out. But in this case, it's very different.

If Burrows had touched the Goaltender, then that would be a simple case of being called for interference when it really wasn't interference. Happens of all the time. But as the reply clearly shows, Burrows never touched ANYONE yet got called for an interference. Why doesn't this doesn't count as evidence?!

Official 2011-'12 sponsor of the hot chick from the FSMW Blues commercials.

I could see an interference there, he bumped a Nashville player while going to the front of the net. But thats mighty weak.

2009-2010 LGB Official Sponsor of Roman Polak2010-2011 LGB Official Sponsor of the Brad Boyes 2011 2nd round draft pick.2011-2012 LGB Official Sponsor of "The Russian" Evgeny Grachev2013 LGB Official Sponsor of David Perron 2013-2014 LGB Official Sponsor of Jay Bouwmeester

Yes, there was a bad/weak call against him. Boo hoo. Who cares? Bad calls happen EVERY SINGLE GAME. I've seen worse calls.

If Auger said what Burrows said he said, which I doubt, then shame on Auger. But like someone else said, Burrows is probably exaggerating because HE THOUGHT Auger may have been out to get him...so he exaggerated what was said. I can totally see that. Burrows is pissed because he felt it was a bad call, so he tries to get Auger in trouble.

Of course I am guessing what happened, but it seems more likely to have happened that way.

That interference call is incredibly weak. A diving call on the Nashville player would have been just as weak, that's how weak it was. That was incidental contact by the book. Burrows' spot was in front of the net off the draw and the Nashville player's spot was the left point, they ran into eachother off the faceoff. The real deal, obviously, is whether Auger WAS out to get Burrows. I just wish it had been against a more reputable player, then maybe we'd see some action by the NHL. At least Auger will be watched closely for the next few games. Hope he doesn't call any Blues games this year (unless it is against the Canucks!).

Official President of the 2011-2012 Sponsorship Committee of the honorable Alex Pietrangelo